What's in a name? Pride, tradition and controversy

Some groups who find nicknames such as the Oriskany Redskins offensive have made a concerted effort in recent years to eliminate Native American mascots. The Oneida Indian Nation recently pushed to have the Washington Redskins of the National Football League change their name. Is

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Uticaod

Posted Dec. 8, 2013 at 5:00 AM

Posted Dec. 8, 2013 at 5:00 AM

ORISKANY

After all these years, Dave Fay's varsity letter jacket, the one he earned as a four-sport athlete and Oriskany Central School senior back in 1959, is a little faded and a bit snug.

It usually hangs, safe and sound, in the back room of his Utica Street printing business, Fays Two/the O. But the 72-year-old retired teacher is quick to prove it still fits, and he will tell you proudly the school's nickname that is stitched across its back — "Oriskany Redskins" — is a good fit, too.

Still, after all these years.

"We were very conscious of our history here; we still are," Fay said.

"Only the Oneidas supported us. They were our friends during the Revolutionary War. What we were trying to do was honor them. It made perfect sense to pick something that associated the school with the Indians. … We had no intention of insulting anybody."

He should know. He was there when they chose the nickname.

An underclassman at Oriskany when there was no mascot, Fay was there when "Redskins" was the winner of a contest at the school. He still believes it was the right choice, too, at least at the time.

Intent notwithstanding, some groups who find such nicknames offensive have made a concerted effort in recent years to eliminate Native American mascots. The Oneida Indian Nation recently pushed to have the Washington Redskins of the National Football League change their name.

The use of Redskins and other nicknames, and mascots that might refer to Indians, has been on a steady decline in the United States. According to a recent survey by the Capital News Service, 62 high schools still have the Redskins nickname — down from 90 schools 25 years ago. At least 28 high schools in 18 states have dropped the name and mascot since 1988.

Of the 105 schools in Section III, or Central New York, Oriskany is the only one with the nickname.

Only three of the 800 or so schools in the state still call themselves Redskins, and the other two school districts – Lancaster and Canisteo-Greenwood — that recently considered a name change were met with stiff resistance from their communities.

District officials maintain there has been no movement to follow the lead of countless other high schools state and nationwide — most recently, Cooperstown Central School's switch from Redskins to Hawkeyes last summer.

Fay, the president of the Oriskany Central School Alumni Association, fears his Oriskany Redskins jacket might someday be a real collector's item.

"It's not my choice to change the nickname, I'm just aware this isn't going to go away anytime soon," said Fay, who has produced "the O," a monthly newsletter whose cover page proclaims it is published "for and about the people who were born, raised, moved to, or wish they were back in Oriskany," since 1996.

Page 2 of 3 - "I love this school and I'd love to have them keep the name," he said. "I'm not calling for change, absolutely not, but the name was chosen with the best intentions in 1956. Now, it's a different social atmosphere, so let's not dig in our feet and hurt ourselves."

In Cooperstown, three students initiated the switch from Redskins to Hawkeyes, but while the Oneida Nation has turned its attention to the NFL's Washington Redskins "and churned up the debate in a major way," Oriskany High School Principal Eric Knuth said there has been no call for change in or around Oriskany.

"It's never been addressed because no one has approached us, to date, except the media," Knuth said. "This (nickname) was chosen to pay respect to the alliance between the colonials and the Native Americans who helped us. It was done to honor them, not to disparage them."

Oriskany Superintendent of Schools Gregory Kelahan has said the district views its nickname as a "traditional moniker, rather than a culturally offensive reference," that it represents the area's proud heritage.

In one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1777, Oneida Indians fought alongside an American relief force during the Battle of Oriskany, and "it is understood in this community that (the school's nickname) was chosen out of respect," Knuth said.

"That was the intent. There are no caricatures, no disparaging remarks. … We don't do any of that. I think that's why it hasn't been an issue."

And if it does become an issue?

"Everybody is aware that it is a hot topic," Knuth said. "Maybe (the Oneida Nation) will come to us. At that point, we will come together as a community and have a discussion. We are literally the next (Thruway) exit. It's not like they don't know that we exist."

The Oneida Nation's Change The Mascot (www.changethemascot.org) campaign has been focused on Washington and the NFL, and Ray Halbritter, Nation representative and CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises, could not be reached for a direct comment on Oriskany Central's use of "Redskins."

Halbritter's stance on "the R-word being a dictionary-defined racial slur," and the views of the Oneida Nation are well-documented, however.

"Much of America is becoming aware that there is something deeply wrong with this slur. … In the last few months, something has changed," Halbritter said in a speech previewing his tribe's recent meeting with top NFL officials. "We are experiencing a rare moment of consciousness in which many are asking the important 'why' questions."

Todd Nelson, the assistant director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (Oriskany is one of its 782 members) said choosing nicknames and mascots are left up to individual districts, "and there have been no requests from any of our member schools to have our association make a stand."

Page 3 of 3 - The sensitive issue has led to change at a growing number of high schools and colleges. Not long ago, Canastota High School and Colgate University dropped the "Red" from Red Raiders, Central Square High School's Redmen became the Red Hawks, Stockbridge Valley's Indians became the Cougars, St. John's University's Redmen became the Red Storm, and St. Bonaventure University's Brown Indians became the Bonnies.

Use of the Redskins nickname has been mentioned during recent meetings of the Sports Booster Club, said President Cathy Murphy. But there was no serious discussion of a name change, and if there ever was, she said, "I think it would be a tough sell."

All four of her children have been Oriskany student-athletes – Sarah Murphy is a senior who plays three sports – and her youngest son, Cody, graduated earlier this year.

"I would never want the nickname to change," said Cody Murphy, now a SUNY Cortland freshman. "It's home, and the Native Americans helped us win the Battle of Oriskany. We're honoring them, and I don't think anybody in Oriskany finds it derogatory.

"Even after you leave high school, you still want to look back on it and say that you were a Redskin."